The longest part of building anything worthwhile is often the part nobody can see yet.

Most of the duration of anything worthwhile is invisible. The years before the work is any good, the quiet foundations, the practice nobody attends: all of it happens before there is anything to show, and it is precisely that stretch where most people conclude they were wrong. Visibility comes late and then makes the whole thing look sudden.

Expect the long unseen middle rather than being surprised by it. Decide in advance how long you are willing to work without external confirmation, and choose a number that is honest about how these things go. Then let the absence of applause be the expected condition, not the evidence against you.